Senate Republicans who earlier this week helped block deliberations on a resolution opposing President Bush's new troop deployments in Iraq changed course yesterday and vowed to use every tactic at their disposal to ensure a full and open debate.

In a letter distributed yesterday evening to Senate leaders, John W. Warner (Va.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and five other GOP supporters of the resolution threatened to attach their measure to any bill sent to the floor in the coming weeks. Noting that the war is the "most pressing issue of our time," the senators declared: "We will explore all of our options under the Senate procedures and practices to ensure a full and open debate."

Five. Of. These. Jerks. Voted. To. Block. Debate. Period.

They must be feeling the heat. I hope so. It was a stupid vote at a time when they could have stood up to Bush and the GOP nutbars. But they did not and, unless they can do something amenable to the MAJORITY Democratic Senators, it's a dead issue now. And the lack of debate/vote (and the headline grabbing House taking up debate in their absence) should be an albatross hung around their necks.